Cleyera plant named ‘WMN-01’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Cleyera  plant named ‘WMN-01’, characterized by its uniform and outwardly branching plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit, dense and bushy appearance; glossy dark green, greyed green and light greenish yellow variegated leaves that are lightly blushed with purplish red under cool season conditions; and good garden performance, tolerant to full sunlight to shade conditions.

Botanical designation: Ternstroemia gymnanthera.

Cultivar denomination: ‘WMN-01’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR/APPLICANT & ASSIGNEE

The Inventor/Applicant and Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor/Applicant and/or the Assignee. Inventor/Applicant and Assignee claim a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Cleyera plant, botanically known as Ternstroemia gymnanthera, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘WMN-01’.

The new Cleyera plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of an unidentified proprietary seedling selection of Ternstroemia gymnanthera, not patented. The new Cleyera plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor on a single plant within a population of plants of the unidentified seedling selection in an outdoor nursery in Franklinton, La. on May 1, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Cleyera plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Franklinton, La. since May 3, 2009 shown that the unique features of this new Cleyera plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Cleyera have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘WMN-01’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘WMN-01’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Cleyera:

-   -   1. Uniform and outwardly branching plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit, dense and bushy appearance.     -   4. Glossy dark green, greyed green and light greenish yellow         variegated leaves that are lightly blushed with purplish red         under cool season conditions.     -   5. Good garden performance, tolerant to full sunlight to shade         conditions.

Plants of the new Cleyera differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Cleyera have variegated leaves whereas         plants of the mutation parent selection have green-colored         leaves without any variegation.     -   2. Under cool season conditions, leaves of plants of the new         Cleyera are lightly blushed with purplish red whereas leaves of         plants of the mutation parent selection maintain their green         coloration under cool season conditions.

Plants of the new Cleyera can be compared to the plants of Ternstroemia gymnanthera ‘Broody’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,450. In side-by-side comparisons plants of the new Cleyera differ from plants of ‘Broody’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Cleyera are more uniform than plants of         ‘Broody’.     -   2. Plants of the new Cleyera are more vigorous and denser than         plants of ‘Broody’.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Cleyera are dark green, greyed         green and light greenish yellow variegated whereas leaves of         plants of ‘Broody’ are light greenish yellow and yellow green         variegated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Cleyera plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Cleyera plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘WMN-01’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical plant of ‘WMN-01’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Franklinton, La. and Fort Worth, Tex. in 7-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery during the spring and summer and under cultural practices typical of commercial Cleyera production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 38° C. and night temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 21° C. Plants were 30 months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Ternstroemia gymnanthera ‘WMN-01’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of an unidentified     proprietary seedling selection of Ternstroemia gymnanthera, not     patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 45 days at             temperatures about 29° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 70 days at             temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 90 days             at temperatures about 29° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 130 days             at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial evergreen shrub;             uniform, upright and outwardly branching and low-mounding             plant habit; vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; lateral branches             potentially developing at every node; dense and bushy             appearance; low requirement for pruning to maintain uniform             plant habit.         -   Plant height.—About.         -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length, secondary branches:             About. Diameter, secondary branches: About. Internode             length: About. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About. Texture and             luster: Color, young stems: Close to. Color, older stems:             Close to.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:             About. Width: About. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base:             Cuneate to attenuate. Margin: Mostly entire, distally,             crenate. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture and luster,             upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; leathery; glossy. Texture             and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; leathery;             matte. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Developing             leaves, lower surface: Fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface.         -   Petioles.—Length: About. Diameter: About. Texture and             luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; leathery; somewhat             glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous;             leathery; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to. Color,             lower surface: Close to. -   Flower description: To date, flower development has not been     observed on plants of the new Cleyera. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Cleyera have been observed     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind, full     sunlight, shade and temperatures ranging from −11° C. to 38° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Cleyera have been     observed not to be susceptible to infection from Cercospora spp.,     Phylosticta spp., and Elsinoe leucospila, and not to be susceptible     to infestations from aphids, spider mites and red-headed flea     beetles. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Cleyera plant named ‘WMN-01’ as illustrated and described. 